1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to depository devices for receiving, under most secure conditions, customer's deposits of banking transaction materials in banking unit devices comprising or forming a part of automatic banking equipment (ATMs) located in banking institution buildings normally unattended and available day and night, or situated at unattended remote locations.
More particularly, the invention relates to a secure transport mechanism for such depositories which has a simplified construction accepting under most secure conditions deposits of varying thicknesses in envelopes frequently containing coin in varying sizes and numbers, and sometimes deposit material in wet envelopes.
Further, the invention relates to secure depository transport mechanism which has lower drag characteristics than prior depository transports, and thus has less motor torque drive requirements, thereby providing for economical and reliable acceptance of bank deposits irrespective of varying sizes, shapes and conditions of the deposited material.
Finally, the invention relates to depository equipment having the new security and deposit handling features described, along with the favorable and omitting unfavorable mechanism characteristics for handling deposits disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,312,277.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous depository devices for accepting banking deposits are known in the art, particularly equipment designed to receive banking material in envelopes.
One prior envelope depository is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,277. This device uses a belt assembly transport mechanism to convey the deposit envelope from an entry slot along a path of travel on a fixed lower flat plate platen to a deposit-receiving container. The transport assembly includes an endless belt trained around spaced rolls, one of which is driven, mounted on a vertically floating upper flat plate platen. One flight of the endless belt when driven moves in a direction of travel between the fixed lower and floating upper flat plate platens with the upper floating platen pressing said belt flight and an envelope being deposited against the fixed lower platen to convey the envelope to the container.
This prior transport mechanism, due to the movement up and down of the belt assembly on the upper platen to accommodate different envelope thicknesses, involves difficulties in providing power to one of the belt assembly rolls to drive the belt between the platens under vertical pressure. There is a further collateral difficulty of heavy drag occurring between the belt and envelope pressed between the flat plate platens during conveying movement.
Another prior transport mechanism for bank notes is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,696. This device has two flat plate platens in fixed positions with clearance therebetween to accommodate the endless belt movement of bank notes, one at a time, between the fixed platens and along the lower platen during which movement the belt and bank notes are pressed by the upper platen against the lower platen. The construction of this belt transport has reduced drag since the platen surfaces engaged by the belt are coated with material having low friction characteristics. However, this prior transport construction, which only conveys thin bank notes one at a time, cannot accept or convey envelopes containing different thicknesses of banking materials to be deposited and, more particularly, cannot convey envelopes containing coin.
Prior art conveying equipment is known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,823 which conveys cans being labeled that roll along a path of travel engaged by a moving endless belt. The equipment is adjustable to accommodate cans of different diameters. However, only one can diameter can be accommodated during any fixed adjustment of the mechanism. There is nothing in this prior art conveying mechanism which provides transport means under conditions of security for conveying material to be deposited in envelopes having different thicknesses and particularly envelopes containing coin.
There are no provisions in the prior art, of which we are aware, for maximum security in handling and delivering banking material deposited in envelopes into automatic banking depository equipment units which can accept deposits of banking material in envelopes having varying thicknesses from envelope to envelope, frequently containing coin in varying sizes and numbers and frequently in wet envelopes; wherein the envelopes are conveyed by belt transport mechanism of simplified construction having low power drive requirements, and minimum drag characteristics; and wherein the transport mechanism avoids the described problems, difficulties and deficiencies present in prior art envelope depositories.
Thus, there exists a need in the field of unattended depository banking service and equipment for envelope depository transport mechanism which accepts and deposits envelopes of varying thicknesses from envelope to envelope under maximum security conditions and which has a simple construction and is reliable and effective in operation.